BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that a federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging James Timpanaro, 54, of Buffalo, NY, with causing a pipe bomb hoax and contempt of court order. The charges carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Joel L. Violanti, who is handling the case, stated that according to the indictment, on Oct. 27, 2018, the defendant placed a device, which appeared to be pipe bomb, outside the United States Postal Service building located at 2061 South Park Avenue in Buffalo. Timpanaro was subsequently arrested and charged by criminal complaint.
On Nov. 2, 2018, the defendant made an initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge H. Kenneth Schroeder who ordered Timpanaro to complete an inpatient psychiatric and alcohol evaluation at the Buffalo VA Medical Center. Between January 26 and Jan. 27, 2019, the defendant failed to comply with Judge Schroeder’s order to abide by all rules and directives of the inpatient treatment program, when he left the facility. Timpanaro was quickly apprehended by the U.S. Marshal Fugitive Task Force.
The indictment is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Gary Loeffert; the Buffalo Police Department, under the direction of Commissioner Byron Lockwood; the U.S. Marshal Service, under the direction of Marshal Charles Salina; and the U.S. Probation Department, under the director of Chief Probation Officer Anthony SanGiacomo.
Timpanaro was arraigned this afternoon before Judge Schroder and was detained pending trial.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
